Statistics show* that people who get into games earliest tend to use the larger character models. Similarly, starting zones tend to be smaller and have less area per character in the zone than do the later, large zones. Because of this, there is less room on any given world early in the game. Therefore, they had to stagger access to allow these larger characters to get out of the starter zones and into the roomy zones, which allows more of the smaller characters to enter the game later on. It is fairly simple. * All supporting statistics come from the Bureau of Made Up Statistics.

True about the assumptions thing, but I think it is safe to do so in this case. In-game items associated with special editions in MMOs tend to be for every character created unless there is a statement to the contrary. There is no such statement, so it is a fairly safe assumption. The one thing that is not an assumption is that the color stone will be available shortly after you get in game during EGA, but the in-game items that are part of the DDE or CE will not be available at least until you register your retail key. This is because only the color stone is associated with the pre-order key. The Edition specific items, however, are associated with the retail key. So those additional items will not be available to you until you register that key (and possibly not until the game goes live, depending on how they handle it).

I seriously doubt you would rather have servers "constantly" crashing, and if you would, then you are willing to inflict a lot of inconvenience on the whole community rather than to have to wait your turn. I find that quite telling. And, no, it is a smooth launch for everyone if the servers are up and stable for everyone throughout the launch. The fact that people don't get to jump line and get in before it's their turn, disrupting service for everyone, doesn't suddenly make it not a smooth launch. Of course, you have the right to your opinion. With all due respect, however, I find it hard to take seriously because I know that all the people making this claim now would be the same crew crying loudest if they were stuck in hours long queues waiting to get in only to have the servers "constantly crashing."

I would not go that far, but, essentially, you are correct. No one was "blindsided" because Bioware has stated from the moment they opened up pre-ordering that entry into Early Access would be staggered. We knew that at least a month before we knew how long Early Access would be, in fact. It was on the pre-order page from the beginning. It saw it at least three times in the process of pre-ordering. I believe it was in the letter announcing pre-ordering. It is in the pre-order FAQ, and it has been discussed ad nauseum on these forums. In short, it has been know for almost 5 months. The only way you could have been "blind-sided" by this would be to literally be blind, in which case you probably would not be pre-ordering to begin with.

Except that the statement is a bald-faced lie. "I'd rather deal with ... servers constantly crashing? Garbage! "A server crash or two," maybe. But no one would rather put up with "servers constantly crashing" over a smooth launch with few problems just because they did not get as early as someone else. The only truth is in the "knowing that other people are playing." This is about envy. This is about people being unwilling to wait in line for their turn, something people should have learned in kindergarten.

+5 Internets and a cookie (with milk and naptime) for you, sir!

You left out the most important one of all: Nothing you can do at any time will ever satisfy the whiners that make up a large portion of the MMO community, and no company has ever nor will ever succeed in doing so. Listening to whiners is the absolutely worst thing an MMO can do because, no matter what you do, they will simply find something else to whine about.

Pre-order code registered 7/22/2011 EGA invite received: 12/13/2011 at approximately 7:00 AM PST. My son registered his Pre-order code on 7/23/2011, if I recall corretly, and got his EGA invite about an hour or so later than me.

My pre-order code was registered 7/22. I got my invite at about 7:00 AM PST this morning. My son got his invite about an hour or so later. He mentioned registering on 7/23, as I recall.